specificity of ashing?

[Skalman]

To stop mice from getting into my house and outbuilding, I ashed skins of three mice on the recommended date last Christmas, which I think was 26 Dec. I scattered the ashes thinly around house and outbuilding. I got rid of all mice in the house directly. In the outbuilding there was a little mouse activity, which ceased after a few days, but now mice have returned to the outbuilding.

I am rather sure that all three mice that were ashed were of the species Yellow-necked Mouse (Apodemus flavicollis). Today I saw one of the mice in the outbuilding. It looked more like the close relative wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus). The wood mouse is slightly smaller and has smaller ears.

I think that the pepper might have been quite specific, and only deterred the ashed species.

To get into the part of the house that they got into, the mice probably need to climb vigourously. The yellow-necked mouse is a better climber. When they got deterred, mouse problems in the house ceased. But they remain to some extent in the outbuilding, where the mice have much easier access. It ispossible that the bigger species dominated before the ashing, and the smaller one got a chance when the bigger species was deterred by the ashing.

I've talked to one Swedish BDer who thinks that the peppers are rather specific. He also said that it is OK to mix species when ashing, if you got more than one species, to have a more broad-spectrum pepper.

Any comments?

[WellWellWell]

Thank you.

Did you just spread the ashes?

I ashed a skunk I caught (we have skunk problems here).

I want to keep the skunks out of my back yard, as they keep digging around and eating my earthworms.

Do I just mix the ash into the soil?